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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 8161315" data-attributes="member: 42582">For anyone interested, <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/in-defense-of-the-theory-of-dissociated-mechanics.308488/" target="_blank">here</a> is one epic "dissociated mechanics" thread.The notion is silly, and adds nothing useful and some confusion to <a href="http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/21/" target="_blank">Ron Edwards' discussion of framing and resolution</a> that predates it by half a decade:Step On Up is actually quite similar, in social and interactive terms, to Story Now. Gamist and Narrativist play often share the following things: <ul style="margin-left: 20px"> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Common use of player Author Stance (Pawn or non-Pawn) to set up the arena for conflict. This isn't an issue of whether Author (or any) Stance is employed at all, but rather when and for what.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Fortune-in-the-middle during resolution, to whatever degree - the point is that Exploration as such can be deferred, rather than established at every point during play in a linear fashion.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">More generally, Exploration overall is negotiated in a casual fashion through ongoing dialogue, using system for input (which may be constraining), rather than explicitly delivered by system per se.</li> </ul>The notion is doubly silly because (as Gyagx noted in his DMG, and as 4e D&D embraced) hit points and saving throws in D&D are obviously FitM resolution systems.So is the following subsystem from Classic Traveller, a game that superficially adheres strictly to "simulationist" imperatives for the correlation of at-the-table and in-the-fiction linearity (Book 1, 1977, p 16):A basic throw of 10+ to avoid dangerous situation applies whenever any non- ordinary maneuver is attempted by an individual while wearing a vacc suit (such as running, jumping, hiding, jumping untethered from one ship to another, etc). DM: +4 per level of expertise.When such an incident occurs, it may be remedied by any character with vacc suit expertise (including the character in danger himself) on a throw of 7+. DM: +2 per level of expertise. No expertise DM: −4.This is FitM because only when the initial check is failed do we then "go back" and establish the precise fictional details of what has given rise to the dangerous situation. (I posted an example upthread from my Traveller session earlier this week - the check was failed by the players of both PCs, and I narrated that they were having trouble managing their oxygen and temperature regulation functions and would either have to run back to their base or open the airlock of their rivals' vessel that they were trying to sneak into.)If even Traveller can't avoid FitM, then there's little hope of avoiding it in any workable resolution system. Which means either everything becomes GM fiat, or players are allowed to engage in mechanical resolution which constrains and obliges particular GM narrations. Whether that's what is happening with our vacc suit system?s or is there terrain around here that my vacc suit pipes will get snagged on? or [USER=6785785]@hawkeyefan[/USER]'s foraging or my PC meeting up with his brother becomes an issue of topic/subject matter, not of fundamental gameplay process.</blockquote>

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